Gel for the separation of useful components contained in rhodanate-containing detoxication treated liquid and method of separation using said gel

Abstract

The present invention provides a gel having excellent separation ability, operability and a long life, for separating useful components from a rhodanate-containing detoxication treated liquid. The gel consists of a cross-linked polymer with more than 50 weight % of repeating units which are composed of 2,3-dioxypropyl (meth)acrylate or 2,3-dioxypropyl (meth)allyl ether, and whose average particle diameter is more than 10μ and gel water content is from 30 to 150%. The present invention also provides a method of separation using said gel.

What we claim is: 
     
       1. A method of separating useful components from a rhodanate-containing detoxication treated liquid including colored components, which comprises in sequence: (a) passing an aqueous solution containing a rhodanate as the main component and obtained by desulfurization and decyanization treatment of a gas containing hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen cyanide, through a layer of a gel consisting of a cross-linked polymer having more than 50% by weight of repeating units which are 2,3-dihydroxypropyl (meth)acrylate or 2,3-dihydroxypropyl (meth)allylether and having an average particle diameter of more than 10μ and gel water content of 30 to 150%, thereby retaining the useful components in said aqueous solution on said gel;   (b) passing a first portion of an eluent through the gel so as to produce an eluate containing oxyacid salts of inorganic sulfur and separating and collecting said eluate containing oxyacid salts of inorganic sulfur;   (c) passing a second portion of an eluant through the gel layer to remove a part of the colored components;   (d) passing at third portion of an eluent through the gel layer so as to produce an eluant containing rhodanate and separating and collecting said eluate containing rhodanate and   (e) passing a fourth portion of an eluent through the gel layer to remove the remaining colored components.   
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in 1 wherein the amount of the aqueous solution to be passed through the gel layer is less than 30% of the volume of the gel. 
     
     
       3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gel layer is in the form of a column and the eluent is passed through the column at a superficial linear velocity based on empty column of from 0.5 to 5 cm/min. 
     
     
       4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution from which rhodanate has been separated is recycled to the desulfurization and decyanization treatment.